The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-10-27

All honor, then. to that brave heart,
Though poor or rich he be,
Who struggles with his baser part,
Who conquers and is free.
He may not wear a hero's crown
Or fill q her 's grave; ~
But truth will place his name among
The bravest OF the brave.
A FOREST ADVENTURE.
The duties OF pilot on q small
steamer that plies up and down a
deep, muddy stream between two
cities, about one hundred miles apart,
+ not always of the pleasantest ma
ture. The sumptuous p~ilot-houses on
our modern ferry-boats and great
sound steamers do not give the faint
est suggestion of the narrow, two.by-
two, plank platform that was former
" used as a standing place for the
pilots Of the river steamers.
In these early days OF steamboat
pioneering the elements Of luxury and
comfort seldom entered into the cap
tain's considerations when he con-
tracted to. make so many trips per
week for a certain stipulated sum.
The boat-builders, too, were strangely
averse to anything that appeared
like comfort or luxury to the passen-
gers, and they economical material as
we'll as time in constructing their
skeletons OF the modern river steam.
ers. f.
It was my fortune, as it turned out,
to be compelled to stand on one OF
OF these small platform pilot-houses
for sixteen hours out of the twenty
four every day for over three years.
The steamer was small and of weak
construction, but when a full head OF
steam was put on she would cut
through the foaming water with nerv-
Gus jumps, rattling the machinery and
AAbaking the 7side-plaoks until they
threatened to ay apart.
The northern limit of our journey
was marked by q small village, situat-
ed on the very banks of the river, and
forming the commercial seaport for
about halfa dozen similar smalltowns.
The width of the stream at this point
was about ~seventy-fve feet, and it
was very shallow. Both banks for
miles down the river were lined with
thick woods, and the branches grew
so far across the water that in many
places the boughs on the opposite
sides interlaced with each other and
formed q natural archway, through
which We 9 compelled to sail. On
dark nights the gloom was intense;
and it required q strong headlight to
dispel the shadows sufficiently for us
to guide our small craft through the
water. Here and there great logs, or
fallen trees, nearly blocked up the
way. and made the journey doubly
dangerous. -.
One dark night, in the fall of the
year, we were proceeding up the river,
as usual, when a strange adventure
happened to US. The night was one of
those 6tfully cloudy ones, which
is lighted up occasionally by
the moon emerging from a bank
Of clouds and then disappearing
again. We had a slow head Of
steam on. and the tug was putting along
leisurely, making perhaps about q half
rate Of speed. Ny familiarity with
the river enabled me to guide the boat
along with comparative ease, while I
listened to the chorus Of wild animals,
which were making the woods resound
with their cries. Occasionally the
green gleam of an eye could be. seen
watching us from the shore. Now and
then a heavy splash in the water init.
mated that some ferocious beast had
come down to battle, or had started
ii pursuit Of our floating home.
The deck hands went asleep as the
night advanced, and I was left alone
with my thoughts. We were gliding
under n Of the leafy arches that ex-
tended across the river, when I was
aroused by a series of wild screams.
] at once knew that the cry CAMERON
a human being, and not from a wild
animal. Spoking the wheel, ] seized
the rife that stood by my side and
prepared myself for whatever might
turn up.
For a few moments there was entire
silence in the woods, the birds and
animals having been frightened into
quiet by the strange cry of q human
voice. Then, without warning, there
was q NOISE in the leaves overhead,
and before / could place my rifle to
my shoulder, the form of q human be-
ing dropped heavily to the deck OF the
steamer. 1t fell in a small heap right
near the stern of the boat, where it
remained motionless, as If crushed to
death by the fall.
The tumult had by this time start
led the deck hands from their sleep,
and with one impulse we started in q
bod toward our strange visitor.
y + the love Of God, ~fellers, help
meslp. an take pity on q poor on
fortinit. Thet old limb pitched me
harder n ! calkerlated, an it's nigh
onto broken me all up. IF it had MT
saved my life I'd cum back here some
day, an cut il of, an pitch it into
the river, jes for spite. But thet crit
tor did MT get me, arter all, an ye jes'
bet she's in 'emi bushes now a-anashin'
her teeth"
We remained silent during the out
burst. The ma was evidently hurt,
though not 80 much but he could an.